Bitcoin remains under pressure for good reasons. Yesterday's Producer Price Index report already dealt a tangible blow to risk assets, showing a 0.4% rise in August and 5.4% year-on-year. That sharply increased hawkish expectations ahead of the Fed meeting — good for those betting on sustained high rates, but harmful to long Bitcoin holders, as equities and bonds fell in sync and cryptocurrencies followed traditional markets with almost no lag.

Because of that shock, the Fear & Greed Index, which was around 65 (greed) in early September, has slid into the fear zone, reflecting the accumulated pressure.

Today, a much more market-sensitive release arrives: the Consumer Price Index for August — and it deserves closer attention than yesterday's PPI. Consensus calls for headline CPI to accelerate to 0.4% month?on?month and 3.4% year-on-year, while core CPI is expected at about 3.1% y/y — both above July's readings. Chairman Kevin Warsh has repeatedly stressed that the September 15–16 rate decision will be data-dependent, so only a notable slowdown in inflation can keep the Federal Reserve from rate hikes. That creates a direct fork for Bitcoin. If the CPI prints hotter than consensus, repeating yesterday's PPI scenario, the market will get further confirmation of a hawkish Fed, and the current pullback from $80,000 to $76,663 risks turning into a deeper, more prolonged correction.

Softer CPI, by contrast, could flip the Fear & Greed Index back toward neutral and give Bitcoin a reason to attempt another assault on its multi-month resistance — especially since the options market still retains a bullish tilt for year?end despite cooling activity in perp futures.

Short-term trading strategy and conditions are described below.

Before the CPI report, Bitcoin is holding in a narrow $77,100–77,900 corridor, and the trading plan revolves around two mirror setups with scenarios for both breakouts and bounces. A confirmed break above $77,500 opens a buy targeting $77,900, where it makes sense to take profit and consider short positions on a potential pullback. Entry is conditional: price must remain above the 50-day moving average (confirming the bullish backdrop), and the Awesome Oscillator must be positive. The second buy scenario trades the bounce: if price approaches the lower band at $77,100 but a break lower is not confirmed, treat it as a false breakout and open a long targeting first $77,500 and then $76,500 as a wider technical reference in case the move extends beyond the near range.

Sell setups are the mirror image. A confirmed break below $77,100 enables a short position targeting $76,500; conditions are opposite (moving average above price and Awesome negative). The second short scenario trades rejection at $77,500 if an upside breakout fails, opening the way to $77,100 and then $76,500.

Ethereum is trading in the $2,462–2,494 range, and the same logic applies on its own price scale. A break above $2,474 signals a buy targeting $2,494 under the same conditions (rising MA below price and Awesome positive). The second buy scenario trades a bounce at $2,462 if a break lower is not confirmed, targeting $2,474 and then $2,442 as a wider reference for continuation.

ETH sell setups begin on a confirmed break below $2,462 with a target at $2,442, provided price is below the moving average and Awesome is negative. The second short works off a rejection at $2,474 if an upside breakout fails, targeting $2,462 and then $2,442. Both indicators are used only as filters to weed out false moves, not as standalone pre-entry signals, so trades should be executed only after price confirms the specified levels — especially given the elevated volatility today's CPI release can produce.